Michael B NDE

Experience Description

I was driving from Corpus Christi, Texas to my home in San Antonio on a wet and rainy Sunday afternoon. Just south of Pleasanton, Texas, I came upon a boat and trailer on the shoulder of the road. I was driving a new car, and had flares in my toolbox so I decided to stop and see if I could be of any help. I pulled over and stopped behind the boat and trailer, and put on the emergency flashers. The owner of the boat came up to my car, and I got out and walked back to the trunk and I grabbed my poncho, reached into the toolbox and got out a flare. We set the flare to the south of our location and returned to the boat and trailer. I asked what had happened and he said he had noticed a wobble in the trailer and pulled over to see if he could discover the problem. I asked him what he wanted to do and he replied he was going to hook the trailer back up to his car and go into the next town. I bent over to see what I could about the problem and discovered that a bearing had frozen and had burned itself into a half-moon. I shook my head and told him that the trailer wouldn't make the trip into Pleasanton. Just as I straightened up and looked at him (he was to the north of me, facing south and I was looking at him, facing north) I saw his eyes get very large and open wide and he said 'Look out for the bus!' I do not know where he went, but I spun around and saw a Greyhound bus on the shoulder of the road, its front wheels cut to the left but the bus was hydroplaning and coming directly at our location. I could see the water beading up from under the front left tire of the bus, and knew I must get out of the way. I ran to the left, away from the road at about ninety-degrees from my location.

I do not recall actually running more than a couple of steps, but at the point when the bus struck me, I remember watching myself spinning through space. It is at this moment that everything seemed to be black and I could not see anything of the area around where I was. While watching myself spinning or 'flying through space,' I also recall feeling as if I were hurtling through a very tight-fitting tunnel. It seemed to me that I was approaching what I can only describe as a nerve synapse and fully expected to jump from one side of the synapse to the other but as I approached this synapse I can clearly recall hearing 'not yet' and the next thing I remember is lying on the ground.

I do not believe I lost consciousness, and when I stopped moving I tried to pick myself up but could not get my legs to move. I looked at my legs and noticed my right foot touching the outside of my left knee. I lay back in the mud and thought I had lost my right foot. The wife of the guy I stopped to help came towards me and I asked 'Is my foot still attached to my leg?' She took a long look and said, 'Yeeees,' (a rather drawn out 'yes') and I thought to myself, 'Man, this is going to hurt,' and told her to go call an ambulance. Shortly thereafter, other people showed up, including a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper. The Trooper was standing to my left when the ambulance crew arrived and asked, 'Where do you want to take the body,' and I thought to myself, 'They think I'm dead.' I reached up and pulled on the Trooper's pant leg and he looked down at me and said, 'You're not dead.' I said 'No - how about the Methodist Hospital in San Antonio.' I was put on the stretcher, hustled to the top of the embankment, put into the ambulance and taken to the Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. I spoke with the attendant during the hour or so it took to get to the hospital and upon arrival at the hospital, I spoke with the people there, answering their questions in what I believed was a competent and responsive manner.

The orthopedic surgeon on call that evening spent a lot of time getting my leg set correctly. He had to set the leg six times that night before he was satisfied. I woke up in the morning in a hospital room and even though I was still a bit woozy, the investigator for the insurance company (Liberty Mutual) came into my room and took a statement from me while I was still coming out from under the surgery the previous night. The reason I mention this statement is that other than a few words my statement and that of the fellow I stopped to help were almost identical. What is intriguing about this is that I could only see some of the things I described if I was above and to the south of my physical location.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 'June 24, 1973'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident 'I was a pedestrian, struck by a 44-passenger Greyhound bus traveling at approximately 30 m.p.h. I suffered multiple closed tib-fib fractures to my right leg and a shattered kneecap, but no loss of blood, no trauma to anything above the waist and I never 'Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening' 'I was a pedestrian, struck by a 44-passenger Greyhound bus traveling at approximately 30 m.p.h. I suffered multiple closed tib-fib fractures to my right leg and a shattered knee-cap, but no loss of blood, no trauma to anything above the waist and I neve I was a pedestrian, struck by a 44-passenger Greyhound bus traveling at approximately thirty m.p.h. I suffered multiple closed tibia/fibula fractures to my right leg and a shattered kneecap, but no loss of blood, no trauma to anything above the waist and I never lost consciousness. As I lay on the ground, looking at my right foot touching the outside of my left knee, I knew that I was in trouble but considered losing the leg the most likely problem and never considered death a possibility.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I clearly left my body and existed outside it

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Normal consciousness and alertness As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? How is 'the experience' defined? My very highest level of consciousness and alertness occurred as I watched the bus hydroplane on the shoulder of the road as it came towards me, out of control. I can remember seeing the water being thrown out of the way by the tires. If 'the experience' is limited to the unearthly experience after being struck by the bus and before trying to pick myself up off the ground, then I would have to say my highest level of consciousness and alertness was at that point when I became aware of a boundary and the phrase 'not yet'. Thereafter I was on the ground, trying to pick myself up and seeing my mangled right leg and realizing that I could not stand.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning The things I saw and experienced during the 'event' should have lasted longer than the time that it took for the accident to happen. I don't really have any sense of altered time, but in looking back at the incident I seem to have experienced more than the time allocated for the accident itself would have allowed.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I recall seeing myself flying through space, and I was able to correctly place myself on the ground after the accident but I could not have seen myself on the ground or properly placed my location unless I was above and behind the accident. That would, I think, make my field of vision different than what one would expect if I had 'seen' things only through my physical eyes.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The 'not yet' I spoke of did not come from another physical person. I recall hearing the phrase 'not yet' in my mind, but not through my ears.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes Contemporaneous with watching myself fly through space I also recall feeling as if I were rocketing down or through a tight-fitting tunnel or enclosure of some type. I had a sensation of movement through this tunnel or enclosure, but could not feel a wall of any type and had no way to stop my movement through this tunnel or enclosure.

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Uncertain While I did not see anyone or anything else during the event, I believe something was nearby because as I approached the synapse referred to in the main narrative I became aware of someone or something saying 'not yet'. I did not hear this in the usual sense because it did not come through my ears but, rather, I 'heard' this in my mind being spoken by a voice that I did not and do not recognize. If I had heard this through my ears I am confident I would have been able to pinpoint the physical location of the speaker but such was not the case during this episode.

The experience included: Void

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes The light was at a distance. In my opinion that light was on the other side of the synapse I referred to in the main narrative. I clearly recall wanting to get to the light, and being a bit disappointed when I couldn't jump the synapse I mentioned in the main narrative.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? During the time between being struck by the bus and finding myself on the ground, I felt calm, relaxed, totally at peace with everything and everyone.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes As stated in the main narrative. I did not cross the boundary, but had the very distinct impression that had I crossed that boundary I would have been in a place of immense satisfaction and peace.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Liberal Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Liberal Not active in any particular religion

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Uncertain After the accident and 'the event' I believe I had more self-confidence and a stronger belief in myself and my abilities. I came away from the event with a belief that I had not yet achieved my purpose.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I had absolutely nothing to compare to the event. I was hesitant to speak to others about the event because I thought people might think I was crazy.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain As stated above, I came away with greater self-confidence, an awareness of my skills and a desire to find my purpose in this life.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The 'not yet' portion was rather significant. Up to that time I was rather aimless - I was not in college and, really, without any purpose. After 'the event' I organized myself to make a life-plan and to go out and achieve that plan.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It took me about four years to actually discuss 'the event' with another. Their reaction was supportive; in fact, my story seemed to assure them that things they experienced in their life weren't hallucinations but, rather, very real.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real The 'experience' was real - things I 'saw' could only have been seen by me if I was some place other than my physical body.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real No evidence has come to light to explain how I could have seen things happen from a place or position other than my physical body.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? It was a spectacularly cool event! Everyone should be so lucky as to have such an experience in their life, but I do not recommend being run over by a bus as a way to experience such an event.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? None that I can think of at this time.